BU Tourism Futures Forum @ WTM2012

World Travel Market, ExCeL, London,

Thursday 8^th November 2012 - 14.00 to 16.00

Room: South Gallery Room 19 & 20

http://www.wtmlondon.com/page.cfm/Action=seminar/libID=1/listID=6/libEntryID=64 

 Chaired by Professor Dimitrios Buhalis 

Bournemouth University tourism experts organise again the BU Tourism Futures Forum @ WTM2012 and engage leading tourism practitioners from around the world on an interactive discussion to examine the future of tourism. The global challenges and opportunities for both tourism destinations and suppliers around the world require innovation in management and operations, calling for a major rethinking of both strategic and tactical Tourism Management. The Tourism Futures Forum will provide an insight into the future dimensions of the tourism industry. It examines major trends in tourism demand and supply and explores the strategic changes that lead to the international tourism industry restructuring. The Forum will be organised by

The University of Bournemouth in partnership with the World Travel Market and the TravelDailyNews are organising this forum to facilitate debate about the key strategic changes and to engage in a discussion about the successful response of the industry. The event will involve two short research-based presentations to stimulate discussion. Chairman Prof Dimitrios Buhalis will encourage all participants to contribute to the debate and discussion. 

Chair 

Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, Bournemouth University 

Brief Presentations 

Jean-Claude Baumgarten World Tourism Travel Council (WTTC)

Confirmed Panelists :

The Honourable Mr. Stephen Cadiz Minister of Tourism for Trinidad and Tobago

Nicolas Hall, SE1media 

Barbara Avdis, Historic Hotels of Europe

Gerard Brown, UBM Aviation, Routes UK 

Sofia Panayiotaki, Mediacofss

Claire Steiner The Institute of Travel and Tourism

Hon. Beverly Nicholson-Doty, Commissioner of Tourism, U.S. Virgin Islands Dept. of Tourism Chair of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation 

Theodore Koumelis, TravelDailyNews

Steve Page Bournemouth University 

Philip Alford Bournemouth University 

Profile of Panelists 

Professor Dimitrios Buhalis Director eTourism Lab Bournemouth University 

Professor Dimitrios Buhalis is a Strategic Management and Marketing expert with specialisation in Technology and Tourism. He is Established Chair in Tourism and Deputy Director of the International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research (ICTHR) Director of the eTourismLab and Director of the John Kent Institute in Tourism at the School of Tourism,  Bournemouth University and Professorial Observer at the Bournemouth University Senate. Professor Buhalis is leading eTourism research and is working with the Bournemouth team for introducing technology in all aspects of tourism research and teaching. In 2009 he led Bournemouth University successfully through the UNWTO.TedQual Certification Process and is the BU representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. In recognition of his contribution, he was elected in August 2009, as a member of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism. In April 2010, Dimitrios was elected President of International Federation for Information Technologies in Travel and Tourism (IFITT). Dimitrios is still an active tourism practitioner advising private sector organisations such TUI, Pestana, Opodo.com, YouTravel.com, Aliathon, on the strategic aspects of their business.

Sofia Panayiotaki, Director, PR MediaCo FSS

Sofia started her media career in Japan as a journalist for local broadcaster (NHK) and Tokyo correspondent for Greek newspaper Eletherotypia. She went on to head up the Japanese consortium for the international broadcasting of the Athens Olympic Games, before setting up her own media production company. In 2005 she returned to Greece for a short spell as news anchor for the Greek Morning News, returning to the Far East a year later as Director of the GNTO for Japan and South Korea. She has Chaired the European Travel Commission in Japan and more recently worked as Director of the GNTO in the UK. Sofia now oversees all communication and events for PR MediaCo FSS. 

Claire Steiner http://www.itt.co.uk/

Claire has been a Board Director and Chair of Education and Training at the ITT since 2005 where she leads on initiatives such as the Future You conference and the ITT Student Awards and represents the ITT on a number of industry committees.  She is also the UK Director of the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership, a multi-country educational programme introducing young people to careers in Travel and Tourism.

Dr Philip Alford 

Philip Alford is a Senior Lecturer in Online Marketing and Director of the Digital Hub in the School of Tourism at Bournemouth University. The Hub offers a range of services that assist organisations in developing and measuring online customer engagement. Dr Alford is also a visiting professor at Essec Business School, France and at the Management Center Innsbruck, Austria.

Professor Stephen Page 

Stephen Page is Professor of Tourism and Deputy Dean (Research) in the School of Tourism, Bournmouth University.  He has worked extensively with industry bodies, particularly around issues of the future and forecasts of change in tourism.  His recent work for the UNWTO was the 2011 Global Tourism Policy and Practice which he led with TEAM Tourism Consulting.  He is also the author and editor of 36 books on tourism, leisure and events.  

Barbara Avdis Historic Hotels of Europe 

Barbara Avdis is the Vice Chairman of the Historic Hotels of Europe organization and the founder of the Yades Greek Historic Hotels in Greece. With an extensive career in Hospitality Management in Europe and the US, Barbara created the Yades Greek Historic Hotels network in 2005, a network of distinguished historic hotels in Greece. Since 2009, Barbara has been actively involved as a Board of Directors member of the Historic Hotels of Europe organization. The HHE unites 650 of the finest historic hotels in Europe under one quality umbrella that promotes historic hotels with a scope to preserve the cultural heritage of the European countries by bringing sustainable economic growth to local communities. Barbara Avdis holds an MBA degree from SDA Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, and a Bachelors degree in Hospitality Management from the Lausanne Hotel School in Switzerland.